Car-control system.



F. HEDLEY & J. S. DOYLE. CAR CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I5, I9I2.

Patented; Aug. 10, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

F.-HEDLEY & J. S. DOYLE.

CAR CONTROL SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15. 912.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Fig.2.

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vafl 9 no STATES PA 2 ENT orrron.

FRANK HEDLEY, OF YONKERS, AND JAMES S. DOYLE, OF MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

' CAR-CONTROL SYSTEM.

ntense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed July 15, 1912. Serial No. 709,503.

To all whom it may concern Be 1t known that we, FRANK HEDLEY and I JAMESS. DOYLE, both citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, atYonkers and Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-ControlSystems, of which the following is a specification.

his invention relates to control systems for cars and more particularlyto electrically propelled cars having doors adapted to be opened by theconductor or other person when the car stops to take on and dischargepassengers, and to be closed before again starting the car.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide improved means underthe control of the conductor for opening and closing the car doors.

Another object is to provide means governed by the movement of the carin running for controlling the operation of the car doors in such amanner that the doors cannot be opened while the car is running, but maybe opened when the car comes to a stop, or when the speed issufficiently reduced.

Another object is to provide means governed by the car doors forcontrolling the running of the car motors, so that when the car doorsare open, the car motors cannot be started to run the car, but whenclosed, the car motors may be started and run in the usual way.

Another object is to provide means for controlling both a car controlcircuit and a I signal circuit by the car doors in such a manner thatafter the car is stopped, the

motorman is advised when the doors are opened, and may then place hiscontroller in a running position so as'to start the car the instant thatthe doors are closed, thereby saving time.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a carcontrol system embodying our improvement, and showing a centrifugalgovernor device driven from the car axle for controlling the dooroperating circuit; Fig. 2, a wiring diagram showing a modification forcontrolling the door operating circuit electrically; Fig. 3, a

wiring diagram showing another modifica- (ion for controlling the dooroperating circult electrlcally; and Fig. 4, a detail view of a preferredform of switch, and solenoid or magnet for operating same.

Our improvement may be applied in connection with any electricallypropelled car having doors adapted to be opened and closed by theconductor, and in the drawings, we have illustrated the same as employedupon a car having the well known unit switch control equipment of whichR represents the reverser with the usual leads from the mastercontroller and to the control resistance. Lead 10 also connects with thecontrol circuit and contains the coil of the line switch S, which opensand closes the motor circuit M.

According to one of the features of our improvement, a circuit whichcontrols the operation of the car motors is itself controlled by the cardoors in such a. manner that when the car doors are closed, the motorsmay be operated to run the car, but when the car doors are wholly orpartly open, current cannot be supplied to the modoors are closed andthe controller is turned to its running positions, the control circuit,10, 10*, including the line switch coil, is energized, and the currentmay be supplied to the motors to run the car in the usual manner. Whenone or more of the car doors are open, however, the control circuit isbroken and the line switch cannot be thrown to close the motor circuit.Therefore the car motors cannot be started to run the car until thedoors are closed.

After the car has come to a stop and the doors are opened, instead ofwaiting for the doors to be closed and to receive a signal from theconductor, the motorman may immediately place his controller in thefirst running position, so that the car will start automatically as soonas the conductor closes the door. This effects a saving of time, and inorder that the motorman may be advised as to the instant the doors arewhich indicates to the motorma-n that the doors are open and he maysafely place his controller on' the first running position withoutdanger of starting the car until the doors are closed.

For the purpose of operating the car doors fluid pressure motors, 12,may be provided having a valve for controlling the fluid pressure andactuated by an electric pneumatic valve device comprising the usualmagnet valve, 13, and piston, 14, the coil of the magnet being locatedin the door control circuit, 15, having conductor switches, 16, oneuponeither side of the car. In the particular design shown in thedrawings, the circuit is arranged for the conductor 'to be stationedupon the side of the car where the door remains closed and operate theswitch, 16, upon that side to open and close the door upon the otherside of the car, the other switch, 16, not in use, being open. Any othersuitable or preferred arrangement of the door control circuit may,however, be employed.

When the conductors switch, 16, is closed the magnet valve, 13, isenergized and supplies air under pressure to piston, l t, to throw thevalve of the door actuating motor,

v12, and thereby open the door. When the switch, 16, is opened, themagnet is deenergized, thereby closing the supply port to piston, 14,and opening an exhaust port, whereupon the spring returns the piston,14,

-and the valve of the door motor to normal closing position in which themotor operates to close the door, and hold the same closed.

In order to make it impossible for the conductor to open the door whenthe car is running, we provide means for controlling so the dooroperating circuit, said means operating to hold the circuit open whenthe car is running, and to close the same when the car stops, or whenthe speed is reduced to a predetermined low degree. Such a means maycomprise a switch, 17, located in the door operating circuit, 15, and acentrifugal governor device, 18, driven from the car axle, as shown inFig. 1, and operating to hold the switch, 17, open when the car isrunning, but closing said switch when the car stops and the balls ceaserotating, or when the speed is reduced to a desired point. The conductorwill then be able to open the doors by closing his switch, 16, only whenthe car is stopped, or when the speed is reduced to a desired degree,since at all other times, when the car is running, the door controlcircuit is open at the switch, 17.

.This feature of our improvement is not limited to any particular formof device for preventing the opening of the doors when the car isrunning, as various construcating the switch, 17, in the door controlcircuit, 15, and a change over switch, C is provided having a coil, 20,located in a branch circuit, 19, leading from the wire, 10, to theground. When the controller is turned to a running position, currentflows through circuit 19, including coil, 20, and interlock switch, 23,carried by the line switch, S, thereby energizing the coil and throwingthe change over switch C to the on position in which the contact bars, 0c 0 engage the stationary contact fingers, and the bars, 0 and 0 moveoff leaving their terminals open. The bar, 0 then closes the circuit,10, of the line switch, S, provided circuit 10 is already closed throughswitch P, thereby closing the circuit, M, to the armature, A, and fieldF of the motor, thereby starting the car. The closing of the line switchS also opens the interlock, 23, but as the by pass circuit, 19 is atthis time closed by contact bar 0 the coil, 20, still remains energizedand holds the change over switch in its on position. In this position ofthe change over switch, the bar, 0 connects leads, 24 and 25. so thatcurrent flows t-hrough the coil, 21. and through field F, to ground,thereby holding the switch, 17, of

the door control circuit open so as to prevent the possible opening ofthe car doors while the controller is on and the car is running.

When the controller is thrown off preparatory to stopping the car, it ismanifest that the switch, 17, should still be held open until the caractually stops, or until the speed is sufficiently reduced, and for thispurpose when the change over switch C, and the line switch 3, return totheir normal off positions, as they do when the controller is thrownofl, the bar, on the change over switch C, closes a local circuit aroundthe armature A through leads 26,

25, and 22, including coil, 21, of switch, 17. The armature now beingdriven by the momentum of the car operates to generate suflicientcurrent in the local circuit to keep the coil, 21, energized and holdsthe switch, 17, of the door circuit, 15, open until the speed issuiiiciently reduced or the car stops. whereupon the current diminishesor ceases to be generatedand the switch 17 closes. If it should bedesired to strengthen the field F of the motorat the time that it isbeing operated as a generator for the local circuit the change overswitch may have a bar, 0 connecting leads 27 and 28 in the OE positionwhereby the field may be excited with a small amount of current from theline.

Still another modification is shown in Fig. 3, in which the change overswitch is dispensed with and the coil, 21, is energized by current fromthe line when the controller is on, and by current in a local circuitaround the motor armature when the controller is off and the motor isbeing driven by the momentum of the car. According to this construction,the lineswitch S is provided with two interlock switches, 30 and 31, oneof which controls a shunt circuit around a portion of the controllerresistance and the other controls the local circuit around .the motorarmature. The operation is as follows: When the controller is thrown on,the line switch S is thrown to close the motor circuit M, and theinterlock switch 30 closes the shunt circuit, 32. The shunt circuit alsoincludes the coil, 21, which is thereby energized holding the switch,17, open. When the controller is thrown off, the line switch opens andat the same time opens the interlock switch 30 of the shunt circuit, andcloses the interlock switch 31 of the local armature circuit, 33. Thiscircuit also includes the coil, 21, which is thus energized by thecurrent generated by the armature when driven by the momentum of thecar, and the switch, 17, is thereby held open until the speed issufiiciently reduced or the car stops, as before described. It will beevident that any of these means which are governed by the movement ofthe car in running, for operating the switch in the door circuit, may beadjusted 'to hold the circuit open when the car is running at or aboveany predetermined speed, but adapted to close said circuit when thespeed is reduced to a desired low degree, such as one or two miles perhour.

In Fig. 4: of the drawing is shown a preferred form of magnet orsolenoid for operating'the switch, 17, whereby the same may be adjustedto close at any desired predetermined speed of the car. The coil, 21, isprovided with the fixed pole piece, 34, extending within the coil at oneend, while the movable armature, 35, is mounted to slide within theopening in the coil at the other end. For the purpose of regulating thedropping out point of the armature an adjustable screw or other meansmay be provided between the end of .the armature 35 and the pole piece34 to vary the length of the air gap between the same. As shown in Fig.4, a rod, 37, preferably of brass, is threaded through the armature 35and projects above the upper end of same as indicated, the amountto'which the rod. projects movement between the rod and switch bar.

The current generated in the coil, 21, by the motor armature when thesame is being driven by the momentum of the car serves to hold thearmature up within the coil with the screw rod, 37, in contact with thepole piece 34: and the switch 17 open. When the speed of the car hasdiminished to a sufficiently low point, such as one to two miles perhour, the pull of the magnet will no longer be strong enough to hold upthe weight of the armature and the latter will then drop and close theswitch, 17. By adjusting the rod, 37, in the armature, the air gap maybe varied so that the armature will drop to close the switch 17 at anypredetermined low speed as desired. While the coil, 21, is shown asoperating a switch in the door control circuit, it will be evident thatit could be employed in connection with any other form of aninterlockingdevice which would prevent the opening of the car door whenthe car is running. It will also be understood that in actual practice,the usual switch operating unit comprising magnet valve, cylinder andpiston, such as indicated in the door circuit in Fig. 1, may be used inplace of any of the coils which are merely indicated diagrammatically inthe drawings as a means for throwing a switch.

It will now be apparent that by means of our improved car controlsystem, absolute safety is attained in the operation of the car, as thedoors are positively held closed to prevent passengers from getting onor off the car while the same is running, and the conductor is powerlessto open said doors until the speed is suiiiciently reduced or the carcomes to a stop. Then when the car is stopped the motorman cannotaccidentally start the car while the passengers are getting on or ofi",but he may place his controller in the first running position when thedoors are open without danger of starting the car at that time. The carwill, however, then start automatically as soon as the doors are closedand considerable time will be saved in this manner.

Having now described our improvement, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is I 1. The combination with a car door andmechanism for operating same, of means to prevent actuating saidoperating mechanism I &

I the operation of the motor, and means governed by the movement of thecar in running for also controlling said motor.

5. The combination with a car door having a motor for operating saiddoor, of manually actuated means for controlling the operation of themotor, and means automatically operating by the movement of the car inrunning to prevent the operation of said door motor.

6. The combination with a car door having a motor for operating saiddoor, of a circuit for controlling said motor, and means governed by themovement of the car in running for opening said circuit.

7. The combination with a .car door having a motor for operating saiddoor, of a circuit for controlling said motor, a manually operatedswitch forsaid circuit, and means governed by the movement of the car inrunning for also controlling said circuit. A

8. The combination with a car door having a motor for operating saiddoor, of a circuit for controlling said motor, a conductors switch andan automatic switch for'said circuit, and means governed by the movement.of the car in running for opening and closing said automatic switch.

9. The combination With a car door having a motor for operating saiddoor, of a circuit for controlling the operation of said motor, meansgoverned by the movement of the car in running for controlling saidmotor circuit, a car propelling motor, a circuit for controlling the carmotor, and means operated by the movement of the door for con trollingthe latter circuit.

10. In an electric car control system, the combination with a car doorand mechanism for operating the same to open and closed position, ofmeans operating to prevent the actuation of said mechanism to open thedoor when the power is turned on for propelling the car.

11. In an electric car control system, the' combination with a car doorand mechanism for operating the same to open and.closed positions, ofmeans controlled by the currentwhen the power 1s turned on, forpreventlng the operation of said motor, of a car pro pelling motor, andelectro-magnetic means operated by line current when the power is turnedon to the car propelling motor for maintaining the door operating motorvcircuit open.

13. In an electric car control system, the combination with a car door,a motor for operating same and a circuit for controlling the operationof said motor, of a switch for said circuit a car propelling motor, apower circuit therefor, and an electro-magnetic device actuated bycurrent from the power control circuit for operating said switch.

14. In an electric car control system, the combination with a car door,a motor for operating same and a circuit for controlling the. operationof said motor, of a car propelling motor, a circuit therefor, a controlmagnetic device located in a shunt circuit around the controlresistancefor controlling the door circuit.

15. In an electric car control system, the combination with a car doorand mechanism for operating the same, of means controlled by the currentwhen the power is turned on, for preventing the actuation of saidmechanism to open the door, and means operated by the momentum of thecar after the power is turned off, for also preventing the actuation ofsaid mechanism to open the door.

16. In an electric car control system, the combination with a car door,a motor for operating same and a circuit for controlling the operationof said motor, ofelectro-magnetic means operated by line current whenthe power is turned on and by the counter electro-motive force of themotor armature after the power is turned off, for controlling the doorcircuit.

17. In an electric car control system, the combination with a car door,a motor for operating same and a circuit for controlling the operationof said motor, of an electromagnetic device for controlling the doorcircuit, said device being actuated by the line current at one time andby the counter electro-motive force at another time, and means governedby the line switch for shifting the circuit connections.

18. In an electric car control system, the combination with a car door,a motor for operating same and a circuit for controlling the operationof said motor, of electro-magnetic means operated by the counterelectromotive force of the motor armature for con-. trolling the doorcircuit.

19. In an electric car control system, the combination with a car door,a motor for operating same and a circuit for controlling the operationof said motor, of electromagnetic means operated by the counterelectromotive force of the motor armature for controlling the doorcircuit, said magnetic means being adjustable to vary the point at whichthe circuit closes.

20. In an electric car control system, the combination with a car door,and mechanism for operating the same, of means operated by the momentumof the car for controlling said mechanism, said means being adjustableto vary the point at which the car door may be opened.

21. The combination with a car door, of a motor therefor, anelectromagnetic controlling device for the motor, and a circuit breakerfor said controlling device dependent on the movement of the car.

22. The combination with a car door, of a motor therefor, anelectromagnetic controlling device for the motor and a circuit breakerfor said controlling device depend ent on the generator action of themotor which propels the car.

23. The combination with a car door, of a pneumatic motor therefor, avalve for said motor, a magnet for operating said valve, and a circuitbreaker in the circuit of said magnet dependent on the car movement.

24. The combination with the door of an electrically propelled car, of apneumatic motor for said door, a valve for said motor, a magnet foroperating said valve, and a circuit breaker in the circuit of saidmagnet dependent on the generator action of the motor which propels thecar. 7

25. The combination with a car door of an operating motor therefor, ofan electrical controlling device for said motor dependent alternately onthe trolley current and on the current from the car motor acting as agenerator.

26. The combination with a car door of an operating device therefor,means for rendering said device inoperative while the car is moving, andmeans for placing said device under the control of the stopping movementof the car as the car is coming to rest.

27 The combination with a car door of a controlling magnet thereforenergized by the propelling motor of the car acting as a generator whenthe car is driven by its own momentum.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

FRANK HEDLEY. JAMES S. DOYLE.

